Noel O'Donovan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like previous speakers, I welcome the Minister of State. There is an extra element of pride for me in welcoming him here because he is a fellow Corkman. I have known the Minister of State for many years through politics. It is a great credit to him personally and to his family that he has been elevated to the position he holds. I genuinely thank him for his public service to Cork and congratulate him on achieving the platform that he now has at national level.

The topic of road safety is close to my heart in light of the years I spent in An Garda Síochána. What motivates me when it comes to road safety is the experience I had in that job. In the context of this debate, the details of one accident that springs to mind. It was one of the first calls I had when I was stationed in New Ross, County Wexford, as a relatively young garda of 28 years of age. At 6.15 p.m. on a December evening, we were called out to the scene of an accident on the main New Ross to Wexford road. When we arrived, there was a deathly silence over the road. For a garda arriving at the scene of an accident, what you do not want is silence. You want to hear screams or calls for help, but there was silence. Unfortunately, four US tourists lost their lives that evening. A U-turn had been made and there were many other issues things involved, but four people lost their lives. The emotions relating to that incident, what you see and what you smell, are what motivate me in the context of road safety.

Many Members have spoken about local issues. Road safety would have been the biggest issue in the local elections and the general election last year. This is a topical issue that crosses the party divide. It is not about politics; it is not about blame. We all want to pick up a newspaper or watch television and not hear about another fatality on our roads. That is what motivates me when it comes to this issue. While it might not be popular to say it, at times I fear it is down to personal responsibility. We can improve road infrastructure and make many changes, but much of it is down to personal responsibility in terms of how people act on the roads.

The figure of 35 road fatalities this year has been mentioned, and that is already too many. What do we need to do? Mention was made of several projects, for example, safe routes to school. The authorities various schools in my area of west Cork, for example, those in Kilmeen, Derrinacahara and Ardfield, are constantly looking for improvements outside their schools. We are meeting with parents' groups and principals who are looking for funding. Cork County Council recently announced funding but we need more funding for safer routes to schools. We could spend multiples of that in Cork and in other counties. It would be a clear win if we could increase funding for safe routes to schools.

I call for visible road safety plans outside schools. We have local development plans in our towns and villages and we know where we are going to build houses, enterprises and so on. Let each school in our country have a visible road safety plan. Let principals and communities see what is planned, whether it is the narrowing of roads or the provision of pedestrian crossings or safe ramps. Let us see the plans. Let us have engagement between local authorities and the Department of Education to create visible road safety plans outside our schools. We need to fund that but, first, we need to plan and prepare for it.

Reference was made to speed cameras and enforcement. I mentioned my short career in An Garda Síochána.We can increase Garda numbers to 15,000 or 20,000, but we will never have enough gardaí to put on every road junction or at every stretch of straight road where we need to reduce speed.

Fixed speed cameras are required outside every town and village - I am serious about that - the same as they have in the UK. Studies in the UK have shown that the introduction of fixed speed cameras reduced fatalities. Speed cameras are not there to make money; speed cameras are there to save lives. We all know when we travel along the roads that when cars start flashing, it is a sign that there are speed vans. We slow down. It changes driver behaviour. We need to get serious about fixed speed cameras outside all our towns and villages.

I could speak a lot more on many other issues but I am conscious of time. It would be remiss of me not to mention the N71. To be a little parochial, in west Cork, we have the N71 national secondary route that is not fit for purpose. We talk about bypasses for many of our towns, for example, Innishannon and Bandon and the bypass we need in Clonakilty, because of traffic congestion. We need investment in our towns. The congestion is causing motorists to go onto our rural roads and avoid our towns, driving at excessive speeds. That is a point that is never really made. Bypasses can improve road safety where we put them in place. Newmills in Bohonagh near Rosscarbery where I live has seen a number of fatalities at that junction. We saw funding pulled last year. Consultants have been brought in and landowners have been met with, however, funding was pulled last year on a section of road that needs to be developed. I want to see that awarded funding this year. One of the calls we get from local media as politicians and representatives is whether we know the deceased or their family members. Those are calls I have gotten about that section of road in Rosscarbery. We need to see funding there.

I welcome the €82 million that came to Cork County Council this year. It was remarked recently that it was the highest level of funding that this Government had ever given to local roads. That is to be welcomed.

To conclude, we can do much more across the party political divide in terms of road safety. I wish the Minister of State well in his term. I am sure he will do great work.